


Smoke and Mirrors

by DeviousMachinations



Category: Original Work
Genre: AU, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, M/M, Multi, Russian Mafia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:02:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21698197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeviousMachinations/pseuds/DeviousMachinations
Summary: Something wicked this way comes and oh, please...Let it notice me, let it love me, and let it consume me.He really should have listened when they told him not to chase.(( 2019 SFW SS for Shad! ))
Relationships: Bogdan Agohn/Fedya Konstantin
Kudos: 2





	Smoke and Mirrors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Secret Santa Shad!!! All I've got written here is SFW stuff but I may add in more chapters that could contain some spicy material in the future or if anyone else writes it I can most certainly add it. But for this holiday I was so glad to see u have a Mafia AU on your prompt list c; I love to write this sort of stuff. Happy holidays!!!

_Don’t go chasing after the Pride of the city._

He should have listened when he was told that, should have taken a second thought when choosing a place to stay all those months ago, risking his safety and dear _god_ should have thought better than taking this job. If he had then he wouldn’t be shaking. Wouldn’t have the cold metal and leather of an absolutely exquisite handgun in the shuddering grip of his hands. The barrel of which was pointed at an unmoving shape not three feet from where he stood.

The gun itself was worth more than he could ever be and the weight of it was daunting. He wanted to leave, to shrink away and crawl into some unseen space. Anything to stop what was happening. A mellow and chipped voice spoke behind him almost caused his finger to twitch and pull.

_“Mr. Agohn, are you a coward?”_

* * *

_3:00am_

An ungodly hour if Bogdan had any say in it. He was exhausted but was in no shape to complain. After the worst streak of bad luck he’d ever had it had put him out of house, home and comforts. Getting fired from his job at the greenhouse was the first of it and then the denial from the loan office was the second. Rejection from college due to his _background_ . What does that even mean? The notice of eviction _-_ Bodgan stopped that train of thought. Regardless, when a rather unkempt looking man came to him promising a pretty sizable paycheck for a small drop off of some questionable goods Bogdan was loathe to reject it.

It was simple, at the appointed hour he would go and retrieve a parcel from a marked location that this man would give him the afternoon of the scheduled drop. He would take it to a gas station dumpster a few miles walk from the drop point nearing the closest freeway on ramp. Once the next person picked it up, a quick hop onto the freeway would take anyone out of the city limits in 15 minutes. It all sounded so easy, and he needed the money. And it was a _lot_ of money being offered. Enough to pull him out of whatever hell hole he’d fallen into.

Of course the pick up from the drop had to be early enough that no one would really look twice at another homeless person skirting about the alleyways. So even though he was exhausted Bogdan was looking forward to just picking up the package and completing the delivery. He could collect his payment and actually get his life back on track.

The walk was brisk, it was chilly this time of year and the cold was almost unbearable but moving quickly warmed him to the point where it was tolerable. His eyes flitted back and forth, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be following him. That’s what happened in the movies right? Someone had to know someone else was going to be picking this up… He sounded so paranoid and ridiculous in his head. His feet moved quicker and the pick up location was nearly in sight.

Ducking into a mucky alleyway between two unfamiliar restaurants Bogdan scrunched up his nose at the smell. His shoes squished unsettlingly as something unpleasant was still sitting underneath the snow that had piled up in the alley and grimacing the tall man told himself he could buy himself a new pair after this job was done. There was no one else in the alley and Bogdan made quick work of lifting one of the dumpster lids that lined the sides.

In Bogdan’s mind the instructions played out again almost in real time. _You’ll know which one it is by the spray paint mark on the inside of the lid._ It was almost like he could still smell the weed from off of him and it was sickening to breathe in.

 _Easy for him to say,_ Bogdan thought with disgust as he made his way down the line of bins, lifting each one up to inspect the inside. Of course it happened to be the second to last bin that held what he was looking for. A plain black backpack had been dumped at the bottom of the garbage bin, still looking fairly unsoiled and Bogdan was thankful he was so tall as his arm reached down, easily scooping up the top loop of the bag. If he’d been any shorter he probably would’ve had to heave himself halfway inside to even reach the damn thing.

The bin made a hollow sound as Bogdan moved himself off of it and in a panic looked around. Still nothing. But his heart hammered in his chest as he quietly closed the lid and slipped the backpack on, making his way back out the other side of the alleyway. He felt like all of the shadows were watching him, ready to pounce the moment he stopped so he never paused walking. He jaywalked across empty streets and through the shadowed alleyways of closed shops, their lights turned off for the night to reach his destination as fast as possible.

Soon the gas station where he was to drop off his pack came into sight and honestly there really had to be some sort of crude joke that it was a 7-11. Bogdan honestly hadn’t ever seen his life taking him in a direction to participate in a drug deal behind a 7-11 at any point but here he was. He skirted the edge of the parking lot, and around the back past the air pump and a shelf that contained numerous containers of propane to the garbage bin in question in the back.

What made him slightly more anxious as he did this was that Bogdan noticed two cars in the lot, one was stopped at a pump, a tired looking driver filling the tank and the other was parked out front near the store entrance. It was probably just the employee on duty’s car but the sweat stuck to the back of Bogdan’s neck prickled as his hands gripped the shoulder straps on the backpack tight. _Almost done, almost done…_

Lifting up the lid of the dumpster carefully Bodgan slipped off the backpack and placed it inside. As he did, he moved to shut the lid quietly when he felt bright warmth swath over his back causing him to jump and lose grip on the garbage lid causing it to slam shut as he turned to look at the light that was shining right at him. The back door to the 7-11 was open and a man was staring, decked in an employee uniform complete with a name tag that was hard to read from where Bogdan was.

Frowning and shining his phone flashlight right at him the man asked, “What are you doing?” The question came quickly, full of tiredness and agitation.

“I- um, nothing, I was ju-just leaving,” the words spilled shakily from Bogdan’s mouth and the employee didn’t seem to quite buy that this lanky looking boy was just here for no reason. The disheveled clothes and unwashed hair probably really sold the fact that he was homeless (and he was), but for all of Bogdan’s misfortune it didn’t seem to shy this man away from questioning him further.

“What were you doing in the bin? Look if you’re hungry go find somewhere else to be, you can’t stay here,” the employee’s voice was crude and he moved forward to push past Bogdan to lift the dumpster lid. It seemed he wasn’t entirely sure that he had only been rummaging through it and Bogdan panicked, if the employee saw the backpack there was no doubt he was going to take it and call the police. He wouldn’t get paid, and all of this would have been for nothing.

He put a hand on the employee’s shoulder, trying to speak, “Look there’s nothing in there, I wasn’t doing anything wrong-”

“Don’t touch me, you! And get out of here, I’m calling the police,” He shoved Bogdan off forcefully, causing the tall man to stumble back as the employee threw open the lid with enough force the sound rang through the parking lot. He pulled up his phone to his ear, 911 already dialed into the keypad. Fear spiked through Bogdan and without a second thought he rushed forward and shoved the man with all his might.

The ground was slippery, newly formed ice from tonight made the concrete slick and the employee stumbled back trying to catch himself on the dumpster, dropping his phone and hitting his head on the bin behind him with a heavy sound before falling into the snow, moaning in pain. Without thinking Bogdan grabbed the backpack from the bin and prepared himself to run before noticing the man’s phone had connected the call.

“Hello this is 911, what’s your emerge-”

In a swift movement he stepped on the phone with a few vicious stomps of his heel, unsure of what else to do. He kicked the ruined phone and it flew through the air, sailing into a snow drift that was piling up a few feet away.

That was when the black cars drove up. The beams from their headlights were on either side of him and Bogdan was sure he was going to jail at this point or something worse was going to happen to him. The employee had to have called the police even before coming out to interrogate him and he shut his eyes against the bright lights, wishing himself to be small and invisible as he put his hands up, the backpack falling from one of his hands into the snow.

There weren’t sirens and there weren’t colored lights, and Bogdan squinted as he heard the sound of one of the car doors opening. A lithe looking man stepped out of the driver’s seat in a crisp black suit and moved to the back to open the back door. An immense wave of smoke wafted from the inside as a shorter man exited the car, beautifully polished black shoes crunching into the snow as he stood.

The man carried himself with a confidence unlike any other. He knew what he was and it commanded a sense of respect. His black hair fell in a wave, perfectly styled to keep out of his face and glinted almost blue in streetlight but was most certainly black. This man was beautiful, beautiful in a way that a predator is and moves with dangerous beauty as the black haired man snapped his fingers. The driver moved to collect the backpack on the sound, and Bogdan in looking through his hands saw that the scariest part about this man was his eyes. They stared directly at Bogdan with a pointed consideration, taking in the scene: the groaning employee in the snow holding his head, the backpack his driver had just moved to collect, and finally, Bogdan quivering in the snow with his hands up in front of his face.

Bogdan almost hadn’t noticed the other car doors opening until there were ten people surrounding him in two semi-circles on either side. Glancing behind him he noticed they all somewhat looked the same, crisp suits and hats that covered most of the noticeable features of their hair and eyes. They seemed to blend together that you could almost say they were the exact same person except for the range in body types.

The short man who commanded them pulled out a cigarette from a small box in his pocket. Another black suit from behind him moved quickly to lean over and light the stick, pulling a matte black lighter from his pocket. With a click the cigarette was lit and the dangerous man breathed in, blowing smoke out thoughtfully as the backpack was now at his side. The driver opened it without command, tipping it towards the leader who a look inside before nodding. Everything seemed to be in order.

Another long drag was pulled from the cigarette when the dangerous man finally spoke, his voice confident and toned to a frigid chill, “Butler, clean this up.”

He moved to get back in his car as the driver now known as Butler pulled a handgun out from underneath the breast of his suit, Bogdan felt his heart drop. Quickly he spoke in a stuttering voice, “Wait! Wait wait wait, please!” He waved his hands in front of his face, but nothing seemed to phase the driver as he pointed his gun at the man on the ground.

_Bang._

Bogdan’s eyes grew hot and blurry as the smoking gun rose, it’s sights finding him next. “Please, I can help, be of use, just give me a chance to show you! I did a great job here! I did everything right! There’s no reason you should shoot me!”

The leader of the group stopped for a moment, breathing in another drag on his cigarette to look at Bogdan just as he continued to blubber. There was a hint of something there, something Bogdan missed as his eyes flooded with tears.

“Hold a moment.”

Butler lowered his gun and Bogdan felt like collapsing but held his ground as the leader walked past, his hands in his pockets and stopped a few inches from where Bogdan stood. His piercing eyes looked over the sad vision of Bogdan and his expression was entirely unreadable. He spoke again, breathing smoke into Bogdan’s face which made his eyes shut tightly at the horrible acrid smell, “What use are you to me?”

“W-well,” Bogdan opened his eyes and rubbed away the wetness on his face, trying to hold himself up tall despite his shaking knees. “I’m smart, and very good at following directions. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to use me anywhere. I’d pick up anything you asked me to do instantly. I’d be an asset and you’d be wasting that if you killed me.” His pride was showing, but god if he didn’t need that selfish confidence to push through the fear.

This made the man lift an eyebrow curiously. “Awfully forward of you to assume you have any value to me in your position.” But he was smiling as he said it, which almost made what was intended to be a threat that much worse. There was a tense silence that followed until the man asked again, “Do you know who I am?”

Bogdan assumed he was probably a crime lord, or mafia or something, but really he had no idea. “N-no, sir.” His stutter returned and he bit his tongue.

“Pride,” the man known as Butler answered for him from the back, taking a step closer to his boss who held up a hand.

“My formal name,” Pride spoke airily and reached up to pat Bogdan’s face, “And you should call me as such. What is your name?”

“Bogdan Rochelle,” he said slowly, as cold as it was Pride’s hand was warm on his face and for as fearful as he was in this moment Bogdan couldn’t look away.

Pride retracted his hand. “Very well Mr. Rochelle. Welcome,” he said plainly and Bogdan stared dumbfounded. The beautiful black haired man turned and walked back towards his car whose door was opened again for him and he got inside. Butler turned and narrowed his eyes as he regarded Bogdan, gesturing towards the other car.

“Get in,” he spoke sharply and Bogdan scrambled for the door to the other car, feeling incredibly out of place among the suits and the feeling of needing the throw up rising in his throat as the remainder of the force set to cleaning up the body of the 7-11 employee. He managed to swallow it down as the driver of his car turned on the engine and started a quick pull out of the parking lot and onto the freeway leading into the city.

Bogdan grasped at his chest as the lights flew by, feeling crushed by the two big suited men seated on either side of him in the car as he sat in the middle back seat. Pride had accepted him into his gang, but what that meant Bogdan had no clue but even the thought of the beautiful man with the icy voice made his face go hot with fear and tension he couldn’t quite place.

* * *

The warmth of the car was sweltering by the time it pulled to a stop inside of a closed garage complex and Bogdan had no idea where they were. The suits stepped out of the car and Bogdan followed without hardly a word. They led him out of the garage to a set of stairs which they entered and walked down a perfectly polished hallway, official looking doors with names scratched on them dictating private offices. Each door had beautifully crafted frames and the windows were glossed over with tint, making it impossible to see inside. Eventually they came to a beautiful golden elevator and pressed the down button.

With a ding the elevator opened into a mirrored interior and the suit to Bogdan’s left pulled out a key, placing it where the emergency fire controls were. He turned the key down and then the doors shut behind them. Slowly the elevator began to descend and everything was uncomfortably quiet. Bogdan found himself picking at his hands as his eyes were glued to the floor. Eventually the elevator came to a slow halt, the doors opening to a beautiful foyer. They had exited offices and entered into what looked to be a beautiful mansion-like layout.

The floor was a smooth blue and white and the furniture looked lavish and expensive. Everything was cast in a hued blue light, all of the bulbs were the same shade which caused a somber expression to be cast about the room. There were doors that led off to either side and two staircases that traversed upwards to an elevated upper floor from what Bogdan could see and it left him speechless.

From the doors off to his right Butler was seen walking through, they must have beat his car here early. He wondered where Pride was offhandedly as the suits led him through the door as Butler led them down the hall past more doors. These were less impressive by far and one in the middle of the hall was opened by Butler. He gestured inside for Bogdan who took the command quickly. Inside was a bed, a writing desk with a small table lamp that was already on and a door that looked to lead to a closet. As the door was shut behind Bogdan without a word he noticed that there was a note left on his desk. Carefully picking it up, he swallowed as he read: 

_Looking forward to see how you’ll impress me, Mr. Rochelle. -Pride_

* * *

Errand boy was his title for the first few months.

It wasn’t so bad. He would essentially do the same thing he had done back in December. Pick up parcels and then drop them off at their appointed locations. Sometimes he would run and get coffee for Butler if it was asked of him, or any of the other older members of the gang. That job made him always grit his teeth and scowl. There was only so much of it he could take and he was positive some of them always found something wrong with their damn coffee so that he’d have to return and get something else.

Butler. Or rather THE Butler as he was better known as tended to do this particular thing quite often. He was a trusted killer of Pride’s and Bogdan _loathed_ him. He was absolutely unbearable with his requests and Bogdan was positive it was just because still even after months of living here under Pride’s roof, the Butler still had no idea what caused Pride to even accept taking Bogdan into their fold. Not that Bogdan himself had any idea either other than to believe it was that Pride saw something special in him.

And for all of the Butler’s outrageous and annoying requests, Bogdan certainly used the fact that he was still here because Pride chose him as an excuse to rub it in Butler's face whenever he could get away with it. It was only fair since the man seemed unstoppable in giving Bogdan job after menial job to do. He was getting sick of these things. The only jobs he liked was whenever he was asked to bring anything to Pride directly. Enough to catch a glimpse of the Boss. Every time he was given a job that went directly to Pride himself he sought to perform it at 110% efficiency. It made him feel important and like he was needed.

Pride didn’t leave his office often, that was something Bogdan noticed quite rapidly. It seemed he only really left about once or twice a month at best. He’d only been in the gang for a few months, and it wasn’t like he was stalking Pride. Bogdan was sure he had to leave at least a little more often that what he’d seen. More often than not people went to Pride rather than the opposite. And Pride didn’t take very many clients in his private office. Often the large, scary looking thugs outside of the office door were enough to keep people away and leave the boss undisturbed.

It also didn’t hinder Bogdan’s thoughts from wandering, often when he would lay in his bed at night, hands folded across his chest. There was something in the yearning to be closer to a man of that level. He was captivating in a predatory way, in a fatal way and Bogdan felt like a moth tempted by a flame. Once he dreamt of Pride praising him for doing good work, and woke in an uncomfortable sort the next morning. A mood that even the cold shower he took afterwards still haunted the darkest back corner of his mind.

He knew it had been busier though the past few days as the Butler was in an awful mood and everyone on Bogdan’s level of the gang had been given more tidying and cleaning jobs to do. Whispers trickled down to the bottom rung and it was becoming clear that someone important was to be meeting with the boss sometime soon. It was unclear who it was going to be but even the lower members knew about the Deck. There was an inner circle of crime lords whom Pride levied his wealth and power into as a benefactor of sorts. Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades. All had dealings with Pride in one way or another, most if not all dealt in drugs.

The majority of Bogdan’s errands were drug drops. Sometimes it was money but the majority was transporting goods either to Pride’s offices or from them to another drop of spot. Again, it was menial but important work for the gang Bogdan got that, but… It didn’t mean that he wasn’t aggravated by it. He was special, Pride had spared _him_ , had chosen him for a reason! Packing parcels and doing lame and exhausting grunt work for months couldn’t have been what Pride had noticed in him that day in the cold 7-11 parking lot.

He had become wrapped up in these thoughts when a knock came at his door. Bogdan got to his feet and opened it without a word. One of the rougher looking men who made up Pride’s personal series of bodyguards was revealed as the door opened and Bogdan swallowed. A paper was shoved into his hands and then the thug walked away without another word back down the hallway. Bogdan, stunned, chanced a look at the paper. It was a short list of things that he would be tasked with doing today. Normally the Butler came by and shoved work at him, so for a personal guard of Pride’s to give him work? Strange, but also exciting and looking at the words printed on the paper Bogdan’s heart jumped. 

Today was one of those favored days where he would get to do personal work directly for Pride himself. He had been asked to go pick up the mail from the various offices that had correspondences and contracts that once obtained would go directly to Pride himself. It was explicit that Bogdan deliver the missives and envelopes in person. There were also strict instructions not to open any folders that were sealed and to handle the documents with care and respect.

This job was an enormous responsibility! On top of that it was the first time he’d been asked to pick up anything so special let alone be allowed to take anything _into_ Pride’s office. Other times that he’d been tasked with bringing things to Pride someone outside of the office would take them from him and bring them inside. Bogdan would only get a small glimpse of the boss. He would often be sitting at his large and beautifully finished desk, smoking, pouring over a huge stack of papers with that same unreadable expression on his beautiful face.

When Bogdan thought about Pride there were many facets he considered. He knew the man was terrifying, but (and this he kept ever so closely to himself) he was also very pretty. That particular thought is one that Bogdan swore he would never tell anyone, a tiny secret kept locked tightly away in his brain. There was also a streak of envy. He envied the respect and power Pride commanded over the lackeys of the gang. How he rarely had to demand respect and he envied how freely it was given to him. Bogdan wanted that.

With this job came the fact that he would be able to speak briefly to Pride after many months of doing crap labor for everyone else, and led on by that infatuating idea Bogdan was going to complete it swiftly and suredly. Pulling out a different set of clothes to wear he pulled together the nicest outfit he had, most importantly a well fitting suit jacket (something he had purchased with his first paycheck). His shoes weren’t the greatest, and he glanced at himself in the mirror he had obtained for his room. It was...ok? He felt severely underdressed for any sort of interaction with Pride himself. But he had to get going, Pride hated to be left waiting for long.

* * *

The job itself was very easy, and demanding papers from a few of the offices did take some terse words, but Bogdan leveraged Pride’s name where he could and found it opened folders faster than saying _he_ needed them. There was something about that that made Bogdan a little giddy but he forced the feeling down. The papers were heavy in his arms but he carried them preciously.

When he came to the door there wasn’t anyone standing outside of it today and he struggled to move the papers quickly to one arm so he could use the other to knock. The knocks were fast and quick, equal parts nervous and excited. There was a long pause, the longest in Bogdan’s life that mattered.

After what felt like eons there was Pride’s voice, “Come in,” and Bogdan had to temper himself from yanking open the door. He opened it gently and stepped inside. “Close the door behind you.” He did, shutting the door with a soft click.

This was the first time he had seen Pride’s office in person, and not just through a crack in the door. It was tidy and well furnished with that same blue lighting that was only broken up by a desk lamp that Pride had switched on. The cigarette tray was full on his desk and a pile of papers were laid out carefully. The bookshelves were packed with tomes, all aligned in neat rows. The couches seemed almost unused they looked so perfect and Pride himself was sitting in a straight backed brown leather armchair.

He was dressed in the same dark suit he normally wore, trimmed with a blue undershirt. Pride moved the pen he was writing with the the side as he leaned back in his chair, lifting a leg to cross over the other. His cuff-links glinted in the lamplight as he gestured for Bogdan to leave the papers on his desk and look at him. Bogdan certainly wasn’t expecting that, for Pride to stop working and to look at him, but he took it in stride and followed the silent command. He stacked them neatly and then moved a few of the most important and pressing envelopes off to the side that would need to be opened.

“So, um, these here are the contracts w-with Clubs that we have,” he stammered ever so slightly, gesturing to the unopened pile of envelopes and one letter which Bogdan had placed at the top of the pile.

“Stop muttering,” Pride spoke sharply and Bogdan wanted to disappear into the floor.

The tall man swallowed, “Yes sir.” He grasped the first envelope, it was a matte black cover with a slight gold edge to it. Pride nodded towards a small black box on the edge of his table, and Bogdan just stared.

“Open it, and get on with it.”

Bogdan scrambled to grab the box, opening it up to see a beautiful letter opener in the shape of a dagger, a silvery steel blade attached to a black hilt, studded with blue gems. In the lamplight it glinted blue. It was gorgeous and Bogdan slowly realized he’d never used a letter opener before. It was such an old concept to him and he knew he’d look like a fool if he said he’d never used one. In itself it probably wasn’t that difficult and he really, _really_ couldn’t ask. To even chance the idea of doing so would spell absolute disappointment from Pride who was not even a foot away. So, he decided to just take a shot at the concept.

_It’s just a letter, it shouldn't be that difficult._ The weight was unfamiliar in his hand and he definitely fumbled in opening the parcel in question, too nervous to even look up at Pride as his hands shook to consider the look on his face as he watched Bogdan stumble. The paper tore unevenly across the top in a bit of a mess and the younger man felt the opener sticking to his palm. His hands were slick with nervous sweat and he could feel it pricking at the back of his neck.

He pulled out the missive from the envelope and handed the thick folded paper to Pride, still looking down at the desk, who took it. Pride sighed a moment and Bogdan saw that the other man’s hands were finely manicured, his skin pale and beautifully smooth. He must have been staring because Pride cleared his throat which made Bogdan’s eyes lift to him.

“If you don’t know how to do something, you should tell me,” Pride’s voice was icy and his eyes almost seemed to stare right through Bogdan. The shorter man stood, walking around to the other side of his desk and lifted another letter, handing it to Bogdan who still had the letter opener in his hand. Taking the letter Bogdan tried again and before he could butcher another letter Pride tsk’d in annoyance causing the other man’s hands to still.

“I’ll only show you this once,” Pride spoke, and his hands moved over Bogdan’s, still covered leather but here inside the mansion they were warm from the body heat underneath. Bogdan had to fight back a shiver as his hands were guided to open the letter in an easy swipe. It was over all too quickly and Pride moved back to take his seat back behind his desk, “Now open the rest for me.” The simple touch had Bogdan feeling light headed but his hands moved with confidence.

It was when Bogdan was nearly finished another knock came at the door. Pride just looked up from his papers at Bogdan who quickly moved to the door. “Who is it?” he asked, summoning enough power in his voice that he thought sounded intimidating.

“Hearts is here for her meeting with the boss,” one of the bodyguards who was one of Pride’s typical doormen answered simply.

Bogdan looked at Pride who nodded and stood up from his chair, pulling out a cigarette. He opened the door and moved out of the way as a professional looking woman stepped through the door her heels clacking with purpose across the threshold until she turned and made herself comfortable on one of the couches that were set off to the side in the office. Pride watched her move to the couches and followed to join her, sitting across from her with a glass coffee table set between them. From behind the woman also followed the Butler and Bogdan had to set his face to not look annoyed.

The tension between the two was clear as the woman leaned back, crossing one leg over the other and mirroring it with her arms. She didn’t look happy to be here and one finger tapped against her arm with feigned irritation. The Butler leaned over to light Pride’s cigarette and then turned and snapped at Bogdan, “Go and fetch something for them to drink.”

The woman lifted her head to take in Bogdan for the first time, she’d ignored him when walking inside. She was also quite pretty, her dark black hair done up and a long fur-lined coat covered her whole body. Even though it was quite warm inside she still hadn’t taken it off. Bogdan, although a bit still irritated at the Butler ordering him about, still did as he was told and fetched a beautiful glass set from one of the cabinets in the office. A warm colored liquor was in a bottle nearby also in glass and he arranged the glassware on the tray in a manner he thought was quite lovely to look at.

Bringing over the liquor he poured it for both Hearts and Pride as they began to speak in terse, but polite conversation about trivial matters: “ _How is your daughter?” “Has business been well?” “How were the holidays_?” Polite as it was it was just plain talk to get them to the root of their business. It was clear neither of them liked to be in each other’s company from the way they sat across from each other, weighing one another with calculated expressions.

When there was a moment to interrupt Bogdan asked, “Is there anything else you need, sir?”

“No, but stay awhile, Butler you can leave,” Pride waved off the other man and Bogdan preened. He could tell it was taking everything for the Butler to keep a straight face as he bowed and exited the room. Bogdan was filled with exhilaration and smiled, taking a spot to stand behind Pride.

“I feel I’ve bored you with enough idle chat, to the heart of the matter,” Pride spoke casually, reaching for a small envelope that was tucked into the inner pocket of his suit jacket. It was long and faded yellow and sealed with a small metal tab at the top. He placed it on the coffee table and slid it across the glass to Hearts who eyed it curiously. She picked it up, her nails clacking against the glass as she did so and lifted it to her chest. Undoing the clasp she peered inside.

It quickly became clear that she was not happy with what she saw as she closed it and tucked it into her own coat. “Surely you must think me naive to assume this is all of it?”

Pride smiled. This was the first smile Bogdan had ever seen cross his boss’s face and it was positively wicked. “Of course not Alisa,” he said, dropping the name like a stone. “But as you are also aware the full shipment did not reach its destination.”

“That is of no fault of mine,” she stated with a wave of her hand, “With your ties to the police you’ve clearly noticed they have decided to put a specialized unit on our tail. Most of the members are quite useless thankfully, but you do know who they have running the whole thing.”

Pride sucked in a breath of smoke, blowing out thoughtfully. “Having the Calloway name attached to a unit means naught in the terms of this agreement. Your team wasn’t careful, and the shipment was wrong.”

“You paid for services. You know fully well risks involved and services were performed,” Hearts, or Alisa as Bogdan now knew, said sharply. Pride tapped the ash off of his cigarette into the tray on the table. Taking the time he knew would piss her off even more, he settled back against the couch cushions.

“Bogdan.” The man in question almost jumped out of his skin. Why was he being addressed in a matter as delicate as this?

“Y-yes sir?” he answered. Alisa’s burning gaze fixated on him and he felt his stomach drop to his shoes, but steeled his expression to be as passive as he could manage.

“What’s your opinion on the matter?” Pride sucked in another lungful of smoke.

His opinion? Alisa seemed to be enraged by the sheer thought of anyone but Pride weighing in on this matter she started to speak, “You seriously cannot expect me to just sit and accept that you are taking a matter like this to the opinion of your _servant_. He’s a nobody.”

“Is he?” Pride seemed thoughtful at that and Bogdan was confused, unsure if he should speak or not. It seemed like Pride was acting that he knew something Alisa didn’t and Bogdan sure as hell had no clue what it could be. “Alisa you should know that I would not ask just anyone for their opinion, Mr. Rochelle is valued as an asset of mine.”

Bogdan’s throat was dry. Should he speak? Pride wanted him to, and at this point Alisa’s arms were crossed tightly across her chest and seemed to be waiting for Bogdan to answer as well. “Well,” he started. He honestly had no idea what the deal was, he only had picked up a few context clues from their back and forth. “If the agreement was that a certain amount was to be delivered in exchange for funds then...well, um, it makes sense that the portion paid would equal what was delivered…” He trailed off a bit and Pride held up his hands, smiling again.

“There you have it,” he said, and his tone signalled that the conversation was over. Alisa tried to start up the conversation again but Pride clapped his hands together. A few of the gang filled into the office from the many doors that led into the office and it tied off whatever words she was attempting to say.

“Very well.” Alisa managed to say tightly and stood, turning on her heel with one withering look in Bogdan’s direction. Her gaze did pause ever so slightly, before she turned wrapping her coat a little tighter around herself and left through the door she had come through. A few of the men who entered quickly followed and saw her out.

Bogdan seemed a little lost in the situation and looked down at Pride. He seemed pleased with the way everything had panned out. Pouring himself a drink into one of the untouched glasses Pride lifted it delicately. “That will be all, Bogdan,” his words were light, but there was a hint of _something_ in that voice. Something Bogdan could only hope at guessing at. But when he left the office he glanced back. Pride had a faraway look as he stared across to the other side of the room. It was the first time that he looked really alone. All Bogdan could think about was how much he wished he could stay longer and enjoy a drink alongside him.

Maybe one day he could be the person to take away that loneliness.

* * *

He graduated to letter opener after that encounter.

Well, he certainly did a lot of that in addition to his other work and spent more time in Pride’s office. His position eventually changed where Pride requested him more and more, asking for him personally after the encounter in his office. It then got to the point where Pride now had Bogdan staying in his office tending to whatever he needed getting done that was menial and he didn’t have the time to do himself. It was quiet for the first week, and Bogdan was kept busy enough that the lack of speech wasn’t really a problem. He was just happy to be near Pride. He felt important because when others came into the office, they were asked to leave and Bogdan was allowed to stay.

Another few weeks into his new position was when he finally worked up the courage to even ask Pride a question. “Sir, could I ask…” he trailed off and Pride didn’t pause in his work, just uttered a low sound that was essentially saying “get on with it”. Bogdan pushed forward, “What is it that you’re working on?”

This did cause Pride to pause, if only to consider Bogdan and what he was asking. “You are aware of the matter that Alisa came in to speak with me about weeks ago?”

“Yes, I remember,” he answered quickly.

“More of that,” the answer was short and to the point. “There will be a few more meetings this week, some of which you’ll be present for. I think you may have potential to be a key player in these dealings but I’m concerned that you may not be ready for a position like that.” His words implied importance, but his tone was flat and unimpressed.

However, Bogdan was amazed. Pride was considering him for a big job? 

“I can be ready,” he answered with confidence, “Just give me a job, let me help you.” He spoke the last point quickly and tried to keep the slight hint of desperation out of his voice. In the weeks of spending time in his office Bogdan had noticed things about Pride the he knew no one else had. Pride pulled many late nights and often would talk to Bogdan, not with but really more at. It filled space and he liked to think that Pride enjoyed his company. He’d never asked him to leave without asking for him to come back the next day. He was probably overthinking it. Bogdan was still a nobody in regards to the whole of Pride’s entourage.

But really it was that he hadn’t gotten a chance to prove himself. That was the whole point. And now Pride was talking about giving him that exact chance. He had been on top of things during his work in Pride’s office and it was good that his hard work appeared to be paying off. It just made sense in Bogdan’s mind, no one appreciated Pride like Bogdan did.

Pride considered his request. “...very well.” He pulled out the top drawer of his desk and put a few folders inside of it, locking it and stood. “We’re done for today here, go and fetch your coat. Meet me at the elevator in ten minutes.”

Bogdan nodded. He set his things down in a neat pile and quickly rushed out the office door to his room down the hall. There was as much time as he could spare putting on a different set of clothes, as nice as he could manage with his small budget and his heavy coat. Despite the weather turning to March it was still fairly breezy and cold. He made his way to the front where Pride was standing with two of his guards, pulling on a familiar set of sleek leather gloves. The boss’s coat was expensive and pristine, a double breasted item that was already done up in the front and reached past his waist and tied with a belt.

Pride’s hair was brushed back to neatness, it often fell out of place during the work day and there was often a time Bogdan thought about reaching out to push it back into place. Another thought he kept to himself. Pride pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and Bogdan, now knowing what position he held was quick to fetch a lighter from his own pocket. The act in itself was customary and expected, but Bogdan couldn’t help but feel an intimacy from it.

It was the time when Pride was closest to him, and Bogdan could lean closer and it wouldn’t be strange. Lighting the cigarette was the closest that he could get to having their hands touch. If you asked Bogdan what his fascination with Pride was he would clearly say that he was amazed about a man with so much how could he not be impressed? Pride was powerful and beau- better than everyone else.

His face was still close when Pride breathed out and the air stung with acrid smoke. They got into the elevator and traveled downward. A personal car was brought around and they slipped into the sleek black vehicle. As the driver pulled out of the parking lot Pride pulled out his phone, the tinted screen keeping out anyone else from peering at what he was looking at. Bogdan kept his hands folded in his lap, his phone was a tempting option but it was a much older model, and one that he could get on the cheapest plan. He knew he’d just feel embarrassed if he looked at it.

So he looked out the window as the other cars passed by. Eventually the car pulled into a shopping district and the beautiful glass displays. The car rumbled to a stop in a parking space in front of one of these beautiful windows and Pride stepped out, Bogdan following. The door to a lavish looking store was etched in gold paint on a dark background. Black heavy curtains framed the window displays, covering anything that may have been on preview past the panes of glass. It seemed rather strange to Bogdan, it was beautiful outside today, why would anyone have the curtains drawn, especially for a place of business?

“Hurry along,” Pride’s voice was curt and Bogdan scrambled after him to go inside. There was someone past the first set of doors from the street and looked skeptical at Bogdan as he passed through the door, but seeing as he was with Pride, the doorman let him pass by, following the shorter man into a gorgeous clothing store. The carpet was a plush red and all of the racks and mannequins had exquisitely tailored suits and dresses attached to them. A man behind the store counter near where they entered noticed them immediately and met them halfway.

“Mister Konstantin, always a pleasure to assist you,” the man had an almost ethereal beauty to him, eyes edged with black that narrowed his eyelids to a cat-like touch. Bogdan’s ears honed in on the last name. He’d never heard Pride’s actual name before and he drank it in. “What are you looking for today?”

“I’ve brought you an associate of mine today, see that he’s fitted for a suit,” Pride took a moment to take off his gloves walking over to one of the settees that were placed in front of a beautiful tri-set of full body mirrors.

Another store employee seemed to appear from behind Bogdan, startling him slightly as they moved so silently, gesturing forward to a small changing area. He took the indication and stepped in. There was a lot of time spent on measurements and quick back and forths between the store associates that Bogdan felt immensely uncomfortable. Eventually he was pushed back out in front of the mirrors and he stared at his reflection. The person staring back was himself but seemed different.

This Bogdan was straight backed and polished. The clothes hung unfamiliar and strangely, and Bogdan wasn’t sure if he liked the look until Pride spoke. “Wonderful job as always,” and then he knew that he liked it.

The employees took turns poking and prodding at him, measuring for a crisp fit. He was pulled around and dressed and undressed and he would have felt embarrassed (he did feel embarrassed) but didn’t dare complain in front of Pride. And they did give him the decency to take off the clothes and put the new ones on in the privacy of a changing area. That was nice to say the least, but they would often take off his jackets or rearrange his shirt fit or tuck. One of the employees complimented him quite a bit which was also a small perk to getting jerked around.

Pride seemed to pay him slightly more attention as well in the nicer suits, that was something that set Bogdan glowing. Eventually after an hour or so of time Pride finally came to a decision it seemed. “Very well, thank you for these options.” He gestured to a few of the suits that had been placed to the side on the rack and pointed to one nearest to the right, a dark navy number in a midnight shade. “This one will do nicely, when can you make the adjustments?”

“We can finish these within a day or two, and send it to your offices, sir,” the taller of the two employees nodded and snapped their fingers, and the other employee took the suit away along with a slip of paper that included Bogdan’s measurements. “We can also send the invoice as well.”

“Excellent,” Pride clapped his hands together and stood, gesturing for Bogdan to follow, “That will be all.”

Bogdan was quick to follow and the two stepped outside. It had begun to rain, that icky time between snow and sleet and Pride breathed a slight sound of disgust. There was a small container of umbrellas near the shop door and Bogdan reached for one, opening it up and leaning the protective material over Pride as they waited for the driver who Bogdan was sure knew they would be finishing up. It gave him a chance to stand a little bit closer and Pride pulled out a cigarette, lighting one himself despite the dampness and Bogdan’s hands being full.

They stood in silence for at least a minute before Pride turned to look at Bogdan who looked away nervously. He breathed out and took a step closer before moving the cigarette to the side of his thin mouth. His hands reached up and adjusted Bogdan’s drabby suit jacket, then moved to his tie that Bogdan had poorly done himself.

“If you’re going to be doing work for me, learn how to tie this properly,” Bogdan’s throat was tight and he nodded as Pride’s hands finished re-doing the knot tightened it uncomfortably against his neck. He was sure he felt the leather of his gloves brush ever so slightly against his bare skin and was about to comment when a familiar black car drove up.

He walked Pride to the car with the umbrella, opening the door for him. He went and returned the umbrella to it’s spot by the shop door and ran back into the wetness to the other side of the car. Once inside Pride took out a business card from one of his pockets and handed it over to Bogdan.

“From now on, you're going to help in our negotiations between the suits. You wanted to prove yourself, and this is how. We’re in the process of securing a deal between Clubs and myself and will be locking in the deal in the next month. You’re going as my, ambassador, of sorts.” _Ambassador..._ that sounded important. “Essentially in case anything goes amiss I’ve sent you to…” Pride searched for the words, “Alleviate, whatever sort of misunderstanding may come up during negotiations.”

“Of course sir, I’m honored sir,” he was quick to respond and the matte black business card in his hand felt like the most important thing he’d ever had.

“That’s a good boy.”


End file.
